Welcome back to the EHI blog! If you are like most of us, Hopefully you have been staying at home and practicing good social distancing as we are supposed to! I am writing this blog to hopefully help some of you avoid making the same mistake I just made in my own home. As my wife has been off work and hasn't left the home in about three weeks, over the weekend I went to move her car as I was cleaning the garage, and sure enough...dead battery. As we all do our parts staying at home, the computers in our vehicles can slowly drain the battery down to the point where it will not start. The best defense against this is to simply start and run your car for 15-20 min at least once a week.  A few things to make sure of before you do this... 1. If your car is parked in a garage, make sure you pull the car out of the garage first! The exhaust from vehicles can be deadly if it builds up in an enclosed space. 2. if you can't stay outside with your vehicle, use your second ...

During these tumultuous times, we are looking for ways to keep moving forward while staying safe. In this blog we will discuss some of the steps to take if you are in the process of buying or selling a home during the COVID-19 outbreak. At the bottom of this post we will provide links to additional resources. Showings/Walk-t h roughs Sellers -   Put away personal belongings. Personal items such as toothbrushes, hairbrushes, cups, dishes should all be put away in cupboards, or covered. Should a potential buyer come through and cough or touch these items they could become contaminated.  Wipe down hard surfaces before you leave, including counters, door handles, appliances and other features of your home potential buyers may be  examining . When you re-enter your home after the showing, simply walk through and wipe those surfaces again. Consider leaving nitrile or non latex gloves for guests to wear while the y  look at the home. These are extremel...

GOT PILLS??? Even decades ago we knew that having  expired prescription drugs was a safety risk. When I was growing up, I was always taught to simply flush the pills down the toilet. Unfortunately, this is EXACTLY what we did! Years later we have learned that this method of disposal is not at all good for the environment. So the question now is, what is the proper way to dispose of expired or unused medication? The first, and preferred method is to find a location that accepts unused medication. There is a household drug take back map available that shows locations across the state. Follow this link to find one of the centers in your area.  Drug Take Back Map   Often times these are pharmacies or local police departments. When using these services, be sure to make sure they accept the type of medication you are going to bring. Some locations only have capacity to accept certain medications. If you do not have one of these facilities in your area, or c...

Hello, and welcome to the neighborhood! This Article will contain a list of useful resources and links for area stores and services in and around your community. At Expert Home Inspections we want to help make sure you have access to important information when you need it; so we have gathered this information specifically for your neighborhood. Also, If you find other resources in the area that you think should be listed, please let us know in the comments and we will add it! Police: Oakland County Sheriff EMERGENCY: 911 NON-EMERGENCY:​​ 248-393-0090 ​ 2525 Joslyn Road​ Lake Orion, Michigan​, USA 48360 Oakland County Sheriff Fire :  EMERGENCY: 911 NON-EMERGENCY:​​  (248) 391-0304 ext. 2000 33965 Gregory Rd. Lake Orion, MI 48359 Orion Township Fire Department 24 Hr Pharmacy : Rite Aid : (248) 373-7700 2480 Lapeer Rd Auburn Hills, MI 48326 Walgreen's :  (248) 393-2934   3520 S. Baldwin Rd. Lake Orion, MI 48359 CVS: ...

Don't let a night sitting in front of your fireplace turn into a 911 call to the Fire Department! As the temperature drops, winter begins to settle in, and the daylight fades earlier and earlier, many of us enjoy sitting by a nice roaring fire in the fireplace. It is a great way to relax and enjoy the season, IF your chimney is in good shape and has been recently inspected. Many people who use their fireplaces regularly don't give it a second thought when winter comes, and start up a fresh new fire.  The reality is that chimney's and fireplaces NEED to be regularly inspected. And while you might think it is less than  i ronic that the home inspector is recommending a recurring inspection, this is not an inspection we as a company offer.  These are inspections that should be done by a chimney sweep who is certified by CSIA, the Chimney Safety Institute of America. No matter how meticulous you are with maintaining your fireplace,  it  do es  r...

As the holidays are fast approaching, we are surrounded by cheerful decorations that help to keep us smiling. From fresh cut Christmas trees, to glowing wreaths and shining Menorah's, these decorations are a wonderful addition to our homes. But do you know how important it is to use them responsibly to avoid a potential holiday disaster? Each holiday decoration or activity can pose its own hazard; and many of these items may carry a serious risk of fire. I won't bring you down with statistics of how many fires and injuries are caused each year; if you do want to read those, follow this link,  National Fire Protection Association Statistics . Instead I will talk about how to safely avoid these problems and make sure your holiday is filled with cheer! Outdoor Lights: Many of us enjoy hanging lights on our roofs, gutters, trees and bushes outside. While these are some of the safest places to hang lights, there are a few precautions you should take. 1. Check each string of ...